Lamp structure

ABSTRACT

A lamp with a flexible goose neck having a swivel connection with a base which encloses a transformer, the core of which is held against the top of the bottom wall by a permanent magnet adhered to the bottom of such bottom wall and which serves to releasably mount the lamp to a metallic support such as a mechanic&#39;&#39;s bench or a car body. The magnet flux saturates the magnetic core which magnetically holds the swivel connection in any of a plurality of adjusted positions without fatiguing the flexible goose neck which in present construction eventually breaks off.

[151 3,666,938 51 May 30, 1972 United States Patent Dolega s4] LAMP STRUCTURE FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [72] inventor:

Primary Examiner-Joseph F. Peters, Jr. Attorney-John J. Kowalik [22] Filed:

21 Appl. NO;

7] ABSTRACT A lamp with a flexible goose neck having a swivel connection ....................240/52.l5,240/81BD .F2lv 21/06, F2ls l/l2, F211 15/16 Field ofSearch.............

with a base which encloses a transformer, the core of which is 240/521 5 81 BD 81 p, 31 BS. held against-the top of the bottom wall by a permanent magnet adhered to the bottom of such bottom wall and which serves to releasably mount the lamp to a metallic support such as a References Cited mechanic's bench or a car body. The magnet flux saturates the magnetic core which magnetically holds the swivel connection in any of a plurality of adjusted positions without fatiguing the eventually [52 us. CI........ 51 1m.c1..............

240/81 BA, 81 13c, 73 BA, 8.18, 11.2 R, 52 R, 89

UNITED STATES PATENTS flexible goose neck which in present construction breaks off. ..240/52.i5

10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 3,205,350 9/1965 Roszkowski et a1.............240/52.15 X 2,458,138 l/l949 Blanchard, Jr.... 1,927,796 9/1953 Patented May 30, 1972 3,666,938

inventor Frank J. Dolega Byfa /{W Afrorney LAMP STRUCTURE DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART One of the important considerations in making lamps is the cost of labor. Most expensive lamps consist of many parts and their assembly and manufacture is time consuming. In lamps which may be used either with 110 v. or 12 v. car system, a transformer is used and is normally secured to the base by screws, and the wiring must use expensive insulation to resist abrasion and prevent premature failure due to flexing of the flexible goose neck. Furthermore, the flexible helix making up the tube or goose neck must be made of stainless steel or other high cost material; otherwise the material rapidly fatigues, particularly at the connection to the base and fractures. The costlier materials last considerably longer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to a novel lamp which is easy to assemble and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

A general .object of the invention is to provide a novel lamp structure in which the base and goose neck are swivelly connected and wherein the swivelling is controlled by a magnetic resistance.

A still further object is to provide in a lamp a novel mounting for a transformer and goose neck, the transformer having a core attracted to a magnetized base, the core and transformer casing also conducting magnetic flux from the base and attracting an annulus which is connected to the swivel base-connected end of the goose neck.

The invention comprehends a novel swivel connection for the goose neck to the base, in which the goose neck is connected to an annular disc which is pivotally mounted to the casing of the transformer and slides against the core and/or magnetized casing of the transformer and wherein the goose neck is journalled through the base, the disc engaging a stop fixed to the transformer and/or base to limit swivelling movements within the limits of twist of the wires extending from the base through the goose neck to the lamp mounted on the free end of the goose neck.

These and other objects and advantages inherent in and encompass by the invention will become more readily apparent from the specifications and the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view partly in section of a lamp structure constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the base; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 33 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The lamp structure generally designated 2 comprises a base 3 of hollow construction comprising a peripheral wall 4 and a top wall 5 providing an aperture 6 which admits a nipple 7 at one end ofa goose neck 8. I

The extension 7 is provided with a collar or shoulder 9 which slidably engages a top surface 9' ofa central offset portion 10 of the top wall. The collar is attached to the nipple which extends through aperture 6 and intermediate its ends is threaded onto a nut 12 which engages the bottom side of the top wall offset portion 10.

The lowermost end 13 of the nipple is tightly threaded into a threaded central opening of a disc 14 which has a flat face engagement on its bottom side as at 15 with the cover 17 of a transformer 18.

The transformer 18 has a magnetic flux conducting core 19, the laminations of which are secured by means of bolt: and nut assemblies 20 to each other and to a magnetic flux conducting bottom seating mount 22. The mount 22 has a flat bottom seating face 23 which rests upon the top surface 24 of a magnetic flux conducting bottom wall 25 ofthe base 3.

The bottom face 26 of the wall 25 is provided with an encompassing flange 27 in which is mounted a circular permanent magnet 28 which projects below the lower edge 29 of the flange at an elevation slightly above the bottom end faces 30 of the resilient feet 31 which are screw-connected to the bottom wall 25. The magnet adheres to the wall 25 and transmits flux through the transformer to a disc 14 and hold the transformer in place.

The magnetic properties of the magnet are such that as it is attracted to the I supporting structure 33, the resilient, preferably rubber, legs or feet 31 are deflected, or compressed and the magnet adheres to such structure. At the same time the magnetic flux is transmitted through the metallic cover and core of the transformer to the surface 15 of the cover 17 and causes the plate 14 to adhere thereto which permits swivelling of the goose neck as determined by the end stops 34, 35 on the plate 14 engaging the upper end 37 of one of the bolts 20 as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.

A pair of current conducting lines 38, 39 are connected to an adapter 40 which has contacts 41, 42 connected to respective lines and which are adapted to engage suitable contacts of a cigarette lighter in an automobile upon insertion of the adapter thereinto as well known to those skilled in the art. The lines 38, 39 are connected to a switch 45 which is mounted on the top wall of the base.

The switch 45 in one position connects lines 38, 39 directly to lines 47, 48 which extend through the goose neck and connect to a lamp socket 49 and thus to the incandescent bulb 50 is usual manner. The bulb is preferably rated at 12 v. to be compatible with the usual automotive electrical system.

For use with l 10 v. the switch connects line 38 through line 51 to the transformer which has a tap (not shown) connected to line 47 and connects line 39 directly to line 48. At the same time the adaptor 40 is snapped into a dielectric socket 53 which has a cylindrical base 54 with a contact 55 engaged by the spring-loaded contact 41 and has a base contact 56 en gaged by the spring-loaded contact 42. The contacts 55, 56 are connected to lugs 57, 58 respectively which are adapted to be plugged conventionally into a l 10 v. wall jacket.

It will be appreciated that the magnetic attraction will readily accommodate rotation of the goose neck, but greatly resists separation. The contact plate 14 is of course of magnetically attractable material such as steel or some ferric compounds or compositions well known to those skilled in the art.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated, it will be understood that various modifications will now become apparent without departing from the spirit of the invention and which come within the scope of the appended claims:

What is claimed is:

1. In a lamp having a base, a lightsupporting assembly, means pivotally mounting the assembly to the base, magnet means on the base, and means for conducting flux from the magnet means to the supporting assembly for magnetically holding the same in selected adjusted positions about the axis of pivot thereof.

2. The invention according to claim I and said magnet means being disposed at the bottom of the base for adhering the base to selected support structure, and said flux conducting means interposed between the magnet means and said supporting assembly. I

3. The invention according to claim 1 and said assembly comprising a light bulb operable at selected voltage, and potential transfer means connected to the light bulb and serving as said flux conducting means.

4. The invention according to claim 3 and said-potential transfer means comprising a transformer and said magnetic means functioning to hold the transformer to the base and said mounting means to the transformer.

5. The invention according to claim 1 and said mounting means comprising a swivel connection comprising a disc connected to the assembly and rotatable therewith, and said conducting means providing a magnetic contact surface for the disc.

6. The invention according to claim 5 and stops associated with the disc and said base for limiting relative pivotal movements therebetween.

7. The invention according to claim 1 and said mounting means providing a swivel connection between said assembly and said base, and said swivel connection having slidable engagement with said conducting means.

8 The invention according to claim 1 and said mounting means comprising a flexible wire-shielding goose 'neck member, and means for limiting pivotal movements of said member relative to the base to prevent breaking of wires extending through said member. 

1. In a lamp having a base, a light-supporting assembly, means pivotally mounting the assembly to the base, magnet means on the base, and means for conducting flux from the magnet means to the supporting assembly for magnetically holding the same in selected adjusted positions about the axis of pivot thereof.
 2. The invention according to claim 1 and said magnet means being disposed at the bottom of the base for adheriNg the base to selected support structure, and said flux conducting means interposed between the magnet means and said supporting assembly.
 3. The invention according to claim 1 and said assembly comprising a light bulb operable at selected voltage, and potential transfer means connected to the light bulb and serving as said flux conducting means.
 4. The invention according to claim 3 and said potential transfer means comprising a transformer and said magnetic means functioning to hold the transformer to the base and said mounting means to the transformer.
 5. The invention according to claim 1 and said mounting means comprising a swivel connection comprising a disc connected to the assembly and rotatable therewith, and said conducting means providing a magnetic contact surface for the disc.
 6. The invention according to claim 5 and stops associated with the disc and said base for limiting relative pivotal movements therebetween.
 7. The invention according to claim 1 and said mounting means providing a swivel connection between said assembly and said base, and said swivel connection having slidable engagement with said conducting means.
 8. The invention according to claim 1 and said mounting means comprising a flexible wire-shielding goose neck member, and means for limiting pivotal movements of said member relative to the base to prevent breaking of wires extending through said member.
 9. The invention according to claim 1 and said flux conducting means comprising a transformer core, and said magnet means releasably mounting said core in the base and adapted to adhere to associate support structure.
 10. The invention according to claim 1 and said magnet means and pivotal mounting accommodating pivotal movement of the supporting assembly and resisting separation of said assembly from said conducting means. 